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fevers which cause restlessness and delirium。
Note the expression； 〃cause restlessness。〃 RESTLESSNESS HAS A CAUSE。
Clearly； then； any one who wished to get rid of restlessness would
proceed at once to deal with the cause。 If that were not removed；
a doctor might prescribe a hundred things； and all might be taken
in turn； without producing the least effect。 Things are so arranged
in the original planning of the world that certain effects must
follow certain causes； and certain causes must be abolished before
certain effects can be removed。 Certain parts of Africa are
inseparably linked with the physical experience called fever； this
fever is in turn infallibly linked with a mental experience called
restlessness and delirium。 To abolish the mental experience the
radical method would be to abolish the physical experience； and
the way of abolishing the physical experience would be to abolish
Africa； or to cease to go there。
Now this hold good for all other forms of Restlessness。 Every other
form and kind of Restlessness in the world had a definite cause；
and the particular kind of Restlessness can only be removed by
removing the allotted cause。
All this is also true of Rest。 Restlessness has a cause： must
not REST have a cause？ Necessarily。 If it were a chance world we
would not expect this； but； being a methodical world； it cannot be
otherwise。 Rest； physical rest； moral rest； spiritual rest； every
kind of rest has a cause； as certainly as restlessness。 Now causes
are discriminating。 There is one kind of cause for every particular
effect and no other； and if one particular effect is desired； the
corresponding cause must be set in motion。 It is no use proposing
finely devised schemes； or going through general pious exercises
in the hope that somehow Rest will come。 The Christian life is
not casual； but causal。 All nature is a standing protest against
the absurdity of expecting to secure spiritual effects； or any
effects； without the employment of appropriate causes。 The Great
Teacher dealt what ought to have been the final blow to this infinite
irrelevancy by a single question； 〃Do men gather grapes of thorns
or figs of thistles？〃
Why； then； did the Great Teacher not educate His followers fully？
Why did He not tell us； for example； how such a thing as Rest might
be obtained？ The answer is that HE DID。 But plainly； explicitly；
in so many words？ Yes； plainly； explicitly； in so many words。
He assigned Rest to its cause； in words with which each of us has
been familiar from his earliest childhood。
He begins； you rememberfor you at once know the passage I refer
toalmost as if Rest could be had without any cause； 〃Come unto
me；〃 He says； 〃and I will GIVE you Rest。〃
Rest； apparently； was a favor to be bestowed； men had but to
come to Him； He would give it to every applicant。 But the next
sentence takes that all back。 The qualification； indeed； is added
instantaneously。 For what the first sentence seemed to give was
next thing to an impossibility。 For how； in a literal sense； can
Rest be GIVEN？ One could no more give away Rest than he could
give away Laughter。 We speak of 〃causing〃 laughter； which we can
do； but we can not give it away。 When we speak of 〃giving〃 pain；
we know perfectly well we can not give pain away。 And when we aim
at 〃giving〃 pleasure； all that we can do is to arrange a set of
circumstances in such a way as that these shall cause pleasure。
Of course there is a sense； and a very wonderful sense； in which a
Great Personality breathes upon all who come within its influence
an abiding peace and trust。 Men can be to other men as the shadow
of a great rock in a weary land； much more Christ； much more Christ
as Perfect Man； much more still as Savior of the world。 But it
is not this of which I speak。 When Christ said He would give men
Rest； He meant simply that he would put them in the way of it。 By
no act of conveyance would or could He make over His own Rest to
them。 He could give them
His receipt
for it。 That was all。 But He would not make it for them。 For
one thing it was not in His plan to make it for them； for another
thing； men were not so planned that it could be made for them； and
for yet another thing； it was a thousand times better that they
should make it for themselves。
That this is the meaning becomes obvious from the wording of the
second sentence： 〃Learn of me； and ye shall FIND Rest。〃 Rest；
（that is to say）； is not a thing that can be GIVEN； but a thing to
be ACQUIRED。 It comes not by an act； but by a process。 It is not
to be found in a happy hour； as one finds a treasure； but slowly； as
one finds knowledge。 It could indeed be no more found in a moment
than could knowledge。 A soil has to be prepared for it。 Like
a fine fruit； it will grow in one climate； and not in another； at
one altitude； and not at another。 Like all growth it will have an
orderly development and mature by slow degrees。
The nature of this slow process Christ clearly defines when He says
we are to achieve Rest by LEARNING。 〃Learn of me；〃 He says； 〃and
ye shall find rest to your souls。〃
Now consider the extraordinary
Originality of this utterance。
how novel the connection between these two words 〃Learn〃 and 〃Rest。〃
How few of us have ever associated themever thought that Rest was
a thing to be learned； ever laid ourselves out for it as we would
to learn a language； ever practised it as we would practice the
violin？ Does it not show how entirely new Christ's teaching still
is to the world； that so old and threadbare an aphorism should still
be so little known？ The last thing most of us would have thought
of would have been to associate REST with WORK。
What must one work at？ What is that which if duly learned will
find the soul of man in Rest？ Christ answers without the least
hesitation。 He specifies two thingsMeekness and Lowliness。
〃Learn of me；〃 He says； 〃for I am MEEK and LOWLY in heart。〃
Now these two things are not chosen at random。 To these
accomplishments； in a special way； Rest is attached。 Learn these；
in short； and you have already found Rest。 These as they stand
direct causes of Rest； will produce it at once； cannot but produce
it at once。 And if you think for a single moment； you will see
how this is necessarily so； for causes are never arbitrary； and
the connection between antecedent and consequent her and everywhere
lies deep in the nature of things。
What is the connection； then？ I answer by a further question。
What are the chief causes of unrest？
If you know yourself； you will answerPride； Selfishness； Ambition。
As you look back upon the past years of your life； is it not
true that its unhappiness has chiefly come from the succession of
personal mortifications and almost trivial disappointments which
the intercourse of life has brought you？ Great trials come at
lengthened inter